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Man charged with kidnapping, attempted sexual conduct

By Amy Banton

An Aiken man was arrested after a 14-year-old girl was reportedly held against her will and assaulted on Sunday.

Christopher Key, 43, of Williamsburg Street in Aiken, was charged with kidnapping and attempted first degree sexual conduct with a minor, according to the Aiken Department of Public Safety.

The incident occurred at about 10:15 p.m. on Sunday near the intersection of Highland Park Drive and Palmetto Lane in Aiken, according to a press release.

The victim was approached by a man who then held her down on the ground and “attempted to commit a sexual battery,” according to the release.

The girl managed to escape and flag down an Aiken Public Safety officer. The report read that the victim was “visibly upset and shaken.”

She told the officer that the assailant fled on a bicycle. The subject was located on Highland Park Drive near Valley Green Drive and arrested shortly after police were approached by the victim.

Public Safety Capt. Maryann Burgess said on Monday afternoon that the results of what happened Sunday stemmed from residents acting diligently.

“Thankfully, we had someone call and alert us of a potential situation,” Burgess said.

The arrest warrant states that Key has a previous conviction that places him on the South Carolina Sex Offender Registry.

According to the state sex offender registry, Key was convicted of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in 1989, and the victim was 11 years old at the time.

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